On A Night Like This
The sparks between Aiden and Sara have been smoldering since they were teenagers. Sara is afraid to take another chance on a man who broke her heart, and Aiden knows better than anyone how dangerous an intense fire can be. Check out this, the twelfth the Callaways series and all of Barbara Freethy's work

Book Description

Undead to the World

A Bloodhound Files novel from DD Barant

Jace's return to Kansas is an instant reminder that there really is no place like home. The tavern is still brimming with losers, practical jokers, and motorcycle chicks. Even the town's only Goth is still wearing eyeliner. But just as Jace is about to click her heels and hightail out of there, she's roped into a brand-new case. Somebody is possessed. And the bodies are piling up…

They call him the Gallowsman. According to legend, he was sentenced to hang--though his crimes still have not been specified. When he was strung up to die, his spirit stuck around waiting for people to hang themselves…so he could steal their bodies. Now, with the undead rising up and going on a rampage, Jace must put her own neck on the line. Can she get the Gallowsman to give up the ghost?

Jace's return to Kansas is an instant reminder that there really is no place like home. The tavern is still brimming with losers, practical jokers, and motorcycle chicks. Even the town's only Goth is still wearing eyeliner. But just as Jace is about to click her heels and hightail out of there, she's roped into a brand-new case. Somebody is possessed. And the bodies are piling up…

They call him the Gallowsman. According to legend, he was sentenced to hang--though his crimes still have not been specified. When he was strung up to die, his spirit stuck around waiting for people to hang themselves…so he could steal their bodies. Now, with the undead rising up and going on a rampage, Jace must put her own neck on the line. Can she get the Gallowsman to give up the ghost?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for DD Barant and THE BLOODHOUND FILES

Snappy writing, a page-turning story and fresh world-building make Dying Bites a satisfying meal of a book. (Kelley Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author of Men of the Otherworld and The Awakening)

Dying Bites is wacky, unpredictable, fresh and amazing. I would kill to write as well as D.D. Barant. Seriously. (Nancy Holder, author of Pretty Little Devils)

This engrossing debut adds another captivating protagonist to the urban fantasy ranks…Barant's well-developed world offers intriguing enhancements to mythology and history. Jace is remarkable, strong-willed and smart, and she sets an unstoppable pace. Look for the Bloodhound Files to go far. (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

A heroine with plenty of guts, moxie and a sense of the absurd. [A] fresh and original take on urban fantasy…Huge kudos to Barant for spicing things up with a story that expertly integrates detective work, kick-butt action and a wacky sense of humor. Make sure you get in early on the outstanding new Bloodhound Files series. (RT Book Reviews)

D D Barant builds a strong world and fills it with fascinating characters that will delight and entertain. Dying Bites is a well-written urban fantasy with a gripping plot and a heroine who is quite believable with her very human flaws. I'm looking forward to seeing more in this captivating world. (Darque Reviews (starred read))

Five stars. An exciting new series. It has humor, mystery, and adventure. A great book! (Affair de Coeur)

Barant does an excellent job introducing a whole new world where vampires make up the majority of the population…quick and engrossing…a great new series. (The Romance Reader)

From the Back Cover

Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, ghosts--profiler Jace Valchek thought she had seen it all. Until now…

Jace's return to Kansas is an instant reminder that there really is no place like home. The tavern is still brimming with losers, practical jokers, and motorcycle chicks. Even the town's only Goth is still wearing eyeliner. But just as Jace is about to click her heels and hightail out of there, she's roped into a brand-new case. Somebody is possessed. And the bodies are piling up…

UNDEAD TO THE WORLD

They call him the Gallowsman. According to legend, he was sentenced to hang--though his crimes still have not been specified. When he was strung up to die, his spirit stuck around waiting for people to hang themselves…so he could steal their bodies. Now, with the undead rising up and going on a rampage, Jace must put her own neck on the line. Can she get the Gallowsman to give up the ghost?

This is the 6th --- and presumably final --- book of a fun and very imaginative series. But the ending didn't bring closure as much as it left on a cliffhanger. This didn't leave me wondering, it left me feeling cheated.

The story was sooooo dragged out. I skipped through a lot of it and don't feel that I missed a thing. Another alternate reality...everyone has had their memories manipulated. Takes the entire book to sort them out. Bad situation, no escape, dead people and I didn't care at all. Read it if you must but I can't recommend it.

The Bloodhound Files is a series unafraid to disregards the laws of physics for the sake of a great story, and UNDEAD TO THE WORLD is one of the best yet. Though heavy on plot and a little light on character, Jace's banter and action has always been enough to keep me coming back for more.

Barant is not afraid to push the boundaries of his world outward in every book, and his mind bending plots often have me questioning "reality" alongside the characters. UNDEAD TO THE WORLD is a prime example of this mechanic, opening to a recognizable world that is oh so askew from where I had expected to find Jace. Much of a reader's ability to try and unravel this puzzling plot hinges on recognizing hints of familiar characters in their new incarnations, so I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who isn't caught up on the series.

Despite being "a book apart" from Thropirelem, UNDEAD TO THE WORLD will be immediately familiar to fans. The story runs a convoluted plot on a steady diet of witty repartee. I'll follow Jace and Charlie anywhere and my favorite parts of this book were when they were simultaneously figuring things out and bantering back and forth. As much as I enjoyed this funny, interesting book, the ending lowered my rating from 4 bats to 3. The climax of UNDEAD TO THE WORLD took a reasonable (and expected) cliffhanger and mashed on a little love triangle angst that had only the barest prior references, a move that lowered my appreciation over all.

Barant's plots, while intricate and impressive, also tend to be so over the top I feel a bit disconnected. While UNDEAD TO THE WORLD does a better job with all the moving parts and magical mechanics that characterize this series, this book-long digression from Thropirelem left me very conflicted. Barant has orchestrated some every interesting possibilities for his characters, but those tantalizing futures were buried under a rather abrupt cliffhanger that turned me off. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one, and despite my frustrations, I know I'll be back for more.

So...I checked the author's page and this is the final installment in the series.

And this is how it ends? I don't want to give spoilers but I've enjoyed the series overall and felt like it was just starting to get good.

Considering this is the final book in the series, there are a ton of loose threads and the ending is...abrupt to say the least. I definitely had higher hopes than this. This book felt rushed and didn't flow, like the author was just trying to fulfill a contract for a 6th book, get it done and move on to his next series. I think I'll avoid books from him again - while I enjoyed this series, I don't want to get involved in another one for this lack of payoff.

To summarize, I really liked the first two books, hated the third, and thought 4 and 5 were just okay. After the dud the third book was - confusing and boring- I started checking them out at the library instead.This one I picked up and put down a few times before finishing it, and I forced myself to keep going knowing it was due soon.It starts out as a completely different story. The protagonist has the same name as the original one, but it seems to be either an alternate reality/dimension version or a case of forgotten memory or something along those lines. This one is really really annoying. She talks to herself, makes stupid jokes to herself, and is literally obsessed with a t.v show to the point of being locked up in a mental hospital and medicated upon her release over it. She is the town crazy who works two dead end jobs and is more than nosy and intrusive when it comes to anything crime related. She butts into crime scenes, breaks into houses- all because she is nosy and watches too much t.v and suddenly thinks one of the characters in said DVD series is talking to her. I found this new protagonist to be equals parts pathetic and annoying.I forced myself to keep reading and finally. Finally it became clear that it was not a new character, but indeed a case of memory loss. The books picks up once her real personality and confidence come back, but it doesn't make up for the poor beginning, and she also seems a little stuck in my mind as annoying. The over-the-top pointless sex scene doesn't make that better.On a final note, the cover is embarrassingly cheesy. The kind of thing you don't want sitting out for anyone to see. It looks like a stereo typical urban paranormal book with an over-the-top heroine wearing leather pants and cleavage popping out surrounded by wolves. It screams "look what a sexy bada** character I am. I am probably sarcastic and fearless and of course bada**. (The last word is edited because Amazon once refused to publish a review that quoted the name of a chapter in the book.)The end is a cliffhanger that I assume will be answered in the next book, but I will pick that one up from the library too.Read more ›

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It has a serious cliffhanger. I can't believe he's going to leave it at this point. I'm already telling friends that I recommended the books to that they should avoid the last one. It's a major disappointment. Not worth reading the book for. Best to just leave it where it ended at the... Read More